Automatic type vehicle operated gate



P 3, '1957 s. M. HUERTA 2,804,704

AUTOMATIC TYPE VEHICLE OPERATED GATE Filed Nov. 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet lSalvador M. Huerta INVENTOR.

Sept. 3, 1957 s. M. HUERTA AUTOMATIC TYPE VEHICLE OPERATED GATE2-Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 1, 1955 INVENTOR Q (may Em Salvador M,Huerta United States Patent AUTOMATIC TYPE VEHICLE OPERATED GATESalvador M. Huerta, Pixley, Calif. Application November 1, 1955, SerialNo. 544,294

4 Claims. (Cl. 39-22) This invention generally relates to a gateconstruction and more specifically provides a gate in an opening in afence which will be automatically opened by the approach of a vehicleand will automatically close after the vehicle has passed through theopening in the fence.

An object of the present invention is to provide a gate constructionemploying a vertical post pivotally supporting a gate member togetherwith actuating means depressible by an approaching vehicle whereby thegate will be swung to an open position by depression of the actuatingmeans to permit passage of the vehicle through the gate opening afterwhich the gate will automatically return to a closed position. i

A further object of the present invention is to provide a gate inaccordance with the preceding object in which the gate opens away fromthe vehicle as it approaches thereby permitting a compact constructionutilizing a relatively small area.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a gateconstruction employing a pair of depressible plates disposed on oppositesides of the gate wherein the plates not only are depressed but arelongitudinally moved by their particular supporting construction so thata cable interconnecting the gate and the plates will actuate the gate inthe desired manner.

Other important objects of the present invention will reside in itssimplicity of construction, ease of operation, automatic opening andclosing feature and its relatively inexpensive manufacturing andinstallation cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan View of the gate construction of the presentinvention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the gate positioned in an openingin a fence;

Figure 3 is an elongated longitudinal, vertical sectional viewillustrating the construction of the depressible and movable plates foractuating the gate;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view taken substantially upon a plane passingalong reference line 4-4 of Figure 3 illustrating the relationship ofthe various elements of the gate actuating mechanism; and,

Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially upon a planepassing along section line 5-5 of Figure 1 illustrating the mountingconstruction of the depressible and longitudinally movable plates.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral generallydesignates the gate of the present invention for positioning between apair of vertical posts 12 and 14 which define an opening in a fence 16.A gate member generally designated by the numeral 18 is pivotallyattached to the vertical post 14 by a pair of brackets 20 pivotallyreceiving projecting pins 22 on a side rail 24 2,804,704 PatentedSept.-3, 1957 of the gate 18. Longitudinal rails 26 interconnect theside or end rails 24 for forming a rigid gate member 18 swingable from aposition in alignment with the fence 16 to a position in perpendicularrelation thereto for per: mitting a vehicle or persons to proceedthrough the opening in the fence 16. A friction latch mechanism generally designated by the numeral 28 is provided in the vertical post 12for engagement with the end of the gate 18 remote from the pivotbrackets 20 and the latch mechanism includes a roller 30 mounted on thegate 18 and a 7 star wheel'32 rotatably mounted on the post 12 forengagement with the roller 30 for frictionally retaining the roller inbetween adjacent projections on the star wheel 32 for retaining the gate18 in closed position.

An elongated base member 34 is provided on each side i of the fence 16within the opening defined by the posts 12 and 14 and each end of thebase 34 is provided with an inclined approach ramp 36 so that a vehiclemay procenter thereof is an inverted U-shaped supporting member 40having outwardly extending free ends 42 pivotally received within thebase 34. A pair of'elongated plate members 44 and 46 are mounted in thegroove 38 and the inner ends of the plates 44 and 46 are provided withhinge eyes 48 which are interdigitated forming a hinge bar for receivingthe bight portion of the inverted U- shaped member 40 thereby supportingthe plates 44 and 46 in centralized position under the gate 18.

A compression coil spring 50 is mounted on a support 52 having a socket54 in the upper end thereof for receiving the lower end of the spring 50and the upper end of the spring 50 engages the undersurface of the hingeeye 48 on the plate 44 wherein the spring 50 will normally urge theinverted U-shaped member 40 to a vertical upstanding position and alsourge the hinge eyes 48 and the plate members 44 and 46 to theiruppermost position. For supporting the outer ends of the plates 44 and46, a plurality of transverse rods 56 are provided extending across thegroove or recess 38 and these rods 56 are provided with rollers 58thereon for permitting longitudinal movement of the plate members 44 and46 when the plate members 44 and 46 are depressed and the U- shapedmember 40 is pivoted about the axis formed by r the outwardly extendingends 42 which will move the plates 44 and 46 longitudinally.

An elongated tension coil spring 60 is disposed between each of theplates 44 and 46 and the central supporting base member 52 for returningthe plates 44 and 46 to their normal position which is centralized inrelation to the base 34.

The base 34 is provided with a recessed portion 62 on each side of thepost 14 for journaling a pulley 64 therein and the lower end of the gate18 is provided with a depending pin 66 in spaced relation to the hingeaxis formed by the hinge pins 22. A flexible line 68 is connected to thehinge pin 66 and extends oppositely for passing over the pulleys 64 andis terminally secured to the respective plates 44 and 46 so thatmovement of the plates 44 and 46 in one longitudinal direction will movethe flexible line 68 a corresponding amount thereby moving the pin 66and the gate 18 about the vertical hinge axis formed by the hinge pins22. A tensioning device in the form of a small pulley 70, a bracket '72and adjustment means 74 is provided on a portion of the flexible cable68 thereby retaining the cable 68 in a taut condition to assure properoperation of the gate 18.

In operation, a vehicle or a person or animal walking approaches thegate 1% and engages either the plate 46' or the plate 44 therebydepressing and pushing the plate generally in the direction of travel ofthe vehicle or person: This-is necessarily truerin respect'toaivehieleinas= muclr as the plates 44 and 46-are upwardlrihclinedtowards-the center-sothat any weightplacedthereon' will move the innerendofthe plate downwardly-man arcuate mannerabout the axisformed bythefree ends 42 oftl1e' inverted U-shaped member'40p The corresponding'longitudinal-mov'ement of' the plates 44 and 46 willcause' a correspondinglinear movement ofthe cable 68' thereby urgingthe gateIS- to an openpositionby movement of the pin 66 about the vertical axis formedf by-thehinge pins2 2 1 As long as-the plates 44' and4 6 are retained indepressedcondition, the gate will be retained open. However, as soon asweight is released from 1116 plate members 44 and-46, thespring 50inconjnnetion'with the springs fitl'will' return the plates 44' and 46to their normal position thereby-returning the gate 18 to its'normalclosed position; This will assure that the gate will open andremain openduring the entire" passage of a vehicle therethroughand no closingmovementwill occur until the vehicle has completely left the base 34;Due to the particular orientation of the cable and the plate members,the gate 18* will always swing away from the approaching vehicle therebypermitting the base member 34 tob'e constructedrelatively'short sincethe gate always swingsaway from the approaching vehicle.

The: foregoingis considered as illustrative only of the principles oftheinvention; Furthersince numerous modifications' and-changes will readilyoccur to thoseskilled in the art; it i's'not desired'to limit theinvention to the exact construction andoperation-shown' anddescribed,and accordingly all suitable modificationsandequivalents may be resortedto; falling within-the-scope ofthe'invention as-claimedz-'Wh'at-iselaimed-as new is as follows:

li- A gate construction comprising a base, a vertical post;agatepivotally mountedon said post, said base having an elongatedrecessextending beyond eachside of the gate,- an inverted U-shapedmember pivotally mounted in-sai'd recess, apair of plates pivotallyattachedto the bight portion of the U-shapedmember and extendingoutwardly in said recess; a cable-connected to each of said plates, eachof said cables being attached'to'the, gate, said plates beingdepressible by a vehicle approaching the gate whereby the plates willmovelongitudinally'away from the vehicle for opening the gate away from'the Vehicle asthe" inner ends of the plates swing arcuately downwardly.

2; A gate construction comprising abase; a vertical post, a gatepivotally mounted on said post, said base having an elongated grooveextending beyond each side of the gate, an upstanding inverted U-shapedmember pivotally mounted in said groove, a pair of inclined platespivotally attached to the bight portion of the U-shaped member andextending outwardly in said groove thereby forming a ramp for a vehiclewheel, a cable connected to each of said plates, each of said cableshaving a free end attached to the gate, saidplates being depressible bya vehicle approaching the gate whereby the plates will movelongitudinally away from: the vehicle as the U- shaped. member pivotstowards a horizontal position for opening the gate away from thevehicle, and spring means urging said inverted; U-shapedv member to avertical position thereby returning the gate to a normal closedposition.

3. A gate construction comprising a vertical support, a gate memberpivotally. mounted on said support and normally forming a closure for anopening adjacentv the support, and means automatically opening andclosing.

said galtememben, said" means. including a pair of elongated pressureplates extending to opposite sides of the gate in downwardlyinclined'relation thereby forming inclined approach ramps, meansrollingly supporting the outer ends of the plates from a supportingsurface, an inverted U shape'd' member pivotalIy supported from thesupporting surface, the bight portion of the U-shaped member pivotallyinterconnecting the inner ends of the pressure platesand supporting thesame in elevated position, spring means urging the U-shaped'member to anupstanding position, a flexible line extending between each pressureplate andthe gate member for swinging the gate member in response tolinear movement of the line, the inner endsof the pressure plates movingarcuately down! wardly when pressure is applied to the upper surfacethereof for moving the. pressure plates longitudinally therebyiinpartinglinear movement to the line for openingthe gateimember, saidspring means returning the U-shaped member and the pressure plates to anormal position after pressure is removed from the plates therebyreturning-the gate member to" a closed position.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein stop means is provided under theinner ends of the pressureplates for ,limiting' the downward movement ofthe pressure plates.

References Citedin the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 886,867Robinson May 5, 1908 902,095: Lister Oct. 27, 1908 1 860571- Bauer May31, 1932 2,301,278 Hicks Nov. 10, 1942

